UK Guardian: Cameronís EU referendum pledge is a testament to the power of the British Tea Party

David Cameron is to finally pledge an EU referendum in his speech today on Europe.

This is a huge concession by the prime minister, who has until now strongly resisted the idea of holding a referendum on EU membership. Would this have been achieved without the tremendous rising success of the UK Independence Party, now riding in the polls at above 15 percent? I doubt it. UKIPís impact on British politics over Europe has been arguably as great as that of the Tea Party in the United States on the debt issue. The Tea Party changed the debate in Washington on the question of government spending and played a key role in reshaping the political makeup of the House of Representatives in 2010.

A referendum in 2017 or 2018 is a long way away, and is premised upon the prospect of an outright Tory victory in 2015, which looks increasingly unlikely.